


Cruel Intentions

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Bullying, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Language, Possession, domestic abuse, sexual innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:33:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21750793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: Egon begins to act odd after suffering injuries on a call. Could it have something to do with the lab explosion prior?
Relationships: Egon Spengler/Janine Melnitz
Comments: 21
Kudos: 25





	1. Lab Fun

The day was starting out to be a fairly decent, warm May morning in New York. Janine was sitting at her computer glancing over the latest celebrity gossip in her magazine while blowing bubbles with her gum and filing her nails. Ray and Winston had started early on giving Ecto-1 a good cleaning. Peter was lazily reading through his morning newspaper. And Egon was, as always, tinkering on something in his lab. 

After hearing a few loud bubble pops, Peter thought he’d have a little fun with Janine. “Hey Melnitz, chewing that gum pretty good, ain’t ya?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it!” was her sassy reply. 

“How about your paycheck reflecting that attitude?” He smiled, completely bluffing. 

“How ‘bout you find another secretary who’s willing to put up with your shitty attitude? My work is caught up; I doubt yours is!”

Peter chuckled lightly; she did have a point. He decided to give a “um-hmm,” before letting it go. 

Suddenly, a loud explosion came from the upstairs lab. Everyone jumped, immediately heading for the stairs. 

“EGON!” they all yelled. 

Winston got there first, closely followed by Ray, then Peter, and Janine bringing up the rear. 

Peter stopped her at the door. “Hang on, ok? Let’s see what’s happened first.” He smiled in an attempt of reassuring her. 

But, from the tears in her eyes, he wasn’t sure if it had worked. “Ok,” she replied shakily. 

The men swarmed over Egon who was presently unconscious and lying on the floor. There was a small cut on his hand, but otherwise, no obvious injuries. 

Ray helped Egon sit up as he was groggily coming around. Winston grabbed the first aid kit and started disinfecting the cut. 

Peter knelt beside Egon. “Hey Big Guy! Starting off the day with a bang, aren’t ya?” 

“I believe that formula will not give me the desired results I was looking for,” Egon replied, holding his uninjured hand to his temple. 

“I’ll get some aspirin!” Janine called. She was eager to do something besides stand in the doorway. 

“Well, whatever you were working on is toast now!” Winston said as he finished applying a bandage to Egon’s hand. 

“I was attempting to produce a solution that would be helpful in rendering ghosts inanimate so that Ray and I could study them prior to placing them in the containment unit.”

Janine returned to the lab with a glass of water and two aspirins. Egon smiled as he took them from her. She just smiled back weakly. 

“Wow! That sounds great!” Ray exclaimed, helping Egon stand and move to the couch. 

“Well, it’s gonna have to wait until you’re feeling better,” Peter said sternly. “No more playing with the chemistry set today, ok?”

Egon nodded, closing his eyes. Janine has also brought a cool washcloth and placed it over his forehead. “Take it easy; let me know if you need anything,” she whispered. 

Egon simply nodded again. “Thank you - all of you.” He drifted back off to sleep. 

They all quietly left the lab to give him time to rest. Winston and Ray returned to the garage area. Janine hesitated in the hallway. 

“What’s wrong, Red?” Peter asked. 

“Shouldn’t somebody stay with him? I mean, what if he has a concussion? Should he really be left alone right now?” 

“Something I’ve learned about Spengs - when it comes to lab issues and stuff like this, if he was seriously hurt, he’d say something. I checked him over while Winston was fussing over him. His pupils react to light correctly, there’s no gash or blood. He just got the wind knocked out of him. And his pride is bruised. So when he dismissed us with that ‘thank you,’ that’s him saying ‘get the hell out.”

“Ok, but I’m gonna check on him every thirty minutes,” Janine said. 

Peter just smiled and shook his head. “Good thing he wasn’t seriously hurt; she’d lock herself in there with him!” he thought to himself.

Sure enough, Janine checked on Egon every thirty minutes for the next few hours. After resting for an hour, Egon went back to tinkering but not with the unstable solution. Janine walked into the lab for her next thirty minute well check.

“How are you?” she asked hesitantly.

Egon looked up from his notes. “Better, thank you. You really don’t have to keep checking on me, although I do appreciate your concern.” He gave her a genuine smile. 

She beamed back at him. “I just wanted to make sure you don’t need to go to the hospital. That looked pretty scary.”

Egon’s expression became serious. “Yes, i was lucky it wasn’t worse. But I’ll make the necessary modifications to prevent another such occurrence.”

“Good. Do you need anything - coffee, snacks?”

“I’m ok for now; thank you, Janine.” 

She smiled again, lightly touching his arm before she left. Egon watched her leave, trying to understand exactly why her touch had given him goosebumps. 

**************************  
Two days later, a call came in. Since Egon was still showing no signs of any long term effects from the lab incident, Peter allowed him to come with them. The call sounded like it had rough potential so he was glad Egon felt up to it.

Ecto-1 pulled up to what looked like an abandoned home in the Bronx area. It had the classic look of every Halloween story the guys had ever read. 

“Man, this place really gives me the creeps!” Winston said as he powered up his pack.

“Yeah, real “Addams Family” style,” Peter added. 

Egon was checking his PKE readings. 

“What’s up?” Ray asked. 

“The readings are those of a simple Class 2, but the details that the caller gave to Janine do not match that,” Egon said confused. 

“Ah, you know how people like to exaggerate,” Peter replied. “Let’s get this baddie and go get some lunch.”

The men entered the house, cautiously checking each room. 

“According to Janine’s notes, the caller said moans were heard as well as high pitched shrieking earlier,” Egon said. 

“Sounds like a classic haunting?” Ray suggested. 

“What do we know about this place?” Winston asked. 

“There are no notes regarding that, so I must assume that Janine was not given that information,” Egon replied. “But the PKE meter still shows readings of a Class 2 this way.” He led them upstairs to the second floor. 

There was a long hallway with several rooms breaking off of each side. 

“Ok! Let’s split up and check the rooms out,” Peter ordered. 

Peter took the first room on the right while Ray checked the next room down. Winston took the room on the left while Egon chose the smaller room at the end of the hall. 

Egon entered what looked like at one time had been a study room. There was a huge desk with books and papers piled on top of it. He flipped through the pages of what was an accounting journal. The pages were old and worn, most of the ink had been smudged by age. Egon continued looking through the room. 

Just then, the arms on his PKE meter raised completely up, the alarm sounding. Egon grabbed his thrower and quickly put away his PKE meter. The ghost materialized a few feet away from him and grabbed several books from a nearby table. The ghost threw the books at Egon, but he was able to dodge them. He opened fire at the ghost, but the ghost was faster. The ghost swerved, the proton stream missing. 

Egon started to run after the ghost but just as he took the first few steps, the floor underneath him gave way. The wood was old and weak. Egon fell through the area, landing in the room on the first floor. 

The others ran quickly downstairs, having heard the noise. Ray saw Egon lying on the floor unconscious. Winston worked fast to remove and shut down Egon’s proton pack to keep it from exploding. 

“Looks like a possible broken leg, and definitely a concussion,” Ray advised.

“Come on Big Guy, talk to me!” Peter said, encouraging Egon to wake up. 

Slowly, Egon began to open his eyes. “My head hurts,” he said softly. 

“Yeah, we’ve gotta take you to the hospital buddy. Looks like a concussion and a broken leg,” Peter told him. 

Ray and Peter helped him to his feet while Winston ran to get Ecto. Egon pulled out his PKE meter to scan for signs of the ghost. 

“Will you stop that?” Peter said, trying to take the meter away. 

“Just wanted to see if the ghost was close by,” Egon mumbled lowly. 

“We’ll come back later; right now, you need to get checked out,” Ray insisted. 

“Looks like it’s gone anyway,” Egon said sulkily. 

Winston pulled Ecto a bit closer to the front of the house. Ray and Peter guided Egon to the vehicle and helped him to get in the back. Soon they were headed to the hospital. 

Ray was up front and radioed Janine what had happened. He urged her to stay at the firehouse; he was pretty sure they wouldn’t admit Egon. She didn’t sound too pleased but agreed. 

Peter laughed. “Wow! I’m surprised she actually listened to you, Ray! If it had been me, she’d already be in her damn car!”

“Maybe she does it to aggravate you, Pete?” Winston chuckled. 

“Well, you’d better be ready for her when you get back, Spengs! Janine’s gonna be by your side 24/7!” Peter laughed. 

Egon just smiled but he was obviously in pain from his injuries. Once at the hospital, Egon was examined. His leg was put in a cast; the doctor advised them that the CT scan was normal. He would likely have a headache but as long as his vision wasn’t blurred or he didn’t lose consciousness, he could be released. 

Janine was practically on top of Egon when they returned to the firehouse. She brought in extra pillows to prop up his leg in the bed. She offered to bring him something to eat, but he politely declined. Reluctantly, she left the bunk room so Egon could rest. 

“Cheer up, Janine. He’s gonna be ok!” Ray reassured her. 

“Yeah, I just wish there was more I could do.”

“Well, there’s a few things you could try while he’s asleep,” Peter teased. “We won’t interrupt.”

“That’s not my thing, Dr. V. Besides, I’d want Egon to remember what I’d do,” Janine snapped back. She returned downstairs to her desk. 

“How much longer are those two gonna tiptoe around the fact that they’re crazy about each other?” Winston asked with a grin. 

Peter shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “Guess we’re back to checking on him every thirty minutes?”

“I’m sure Janine has the countdown on!” Ray replied. 

As predicted, Janine marched upstairs to the bunk room in precisely thirty minutes. She eased in quietly but was happy to see that Egon was sitting up in bed reading a book. 

“Hey there! Feelin’ better?” she asked. 

“Yes, some better,” Egon responded. “The pain medication they gave me at the hospital hasn’t worn off yet.”

“Good. You let me know if you need …. anything,” she said, putting emphasis on the word anything. She leaned in and fingered his shirt collar and placed a kiss on his cheek. She then walked out of the bunk room. 

“Wow! That broad sure has a set of legs on her!” Egon thought, shocked at the fact that he had actually thought that. “Wonder what she sees in this guy?” He shrugged off the idea and continued reading.


	2. Odd Happenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon deals with confusing dreams and conflicting feelings.

Egon eventually slipped into an uncomfortable sleep, filled with strange dreams. He was walking back through the house in the Bronx. Except the house wasn’t old and run down; it was almost like brand new. It was actually quite beautiful. The living room had an antique area rug that was obviously very expensive. There was a huge chandelier in the foyer. As Egon continued upstairs, he returned to the room that he was in before the accident. It was in a much better state than at that time. All of the books were in their proper place and the accounting journals were laying open on the desk. He sat down and looked over the ledgers. He was pleased to see that all of his money was well taken care of. He made a mental note to give his accountant a small raise. 

He then heard the front door open. “Hey Lou! I’m baaacckkkk!” A loud female voice rang shrilly through the house. 

Egon came downstairs to see an attractive red headed woman standing in the foyer removing her gloves and coat. She then sauntered over to him, dropping the large shopping bags on the floor. 

Egon’s hands balled into fists in an attempt to control his temper. “I see you’ve been busy spending my money!”

“Ah, come on Lou! You won’t miss that tiny bit! And wait til ya see this little number!” She pulled out a sexy lingerie item. 

Egon yanked the outfit from her hands, tossing it angrily across the room. “Who’s that for?! Cause it sure as hell ain’t me!”

He pushed the woman back up against the wall. “It’s been a month since you’ve touched me! So, which guy is it this time?!” He backhanded her across the face. 

“Lou, please! You don’t understand!” the woman cried, pleading for him to stop. 

He continued slapping her around. “You lousy tramp! You’re just after my money! I should’ve known better than to get involved with you!”

Suddenly, Egon woke up, his heart pounding, sweat rolling down his face. He took a few minutes to calm his nerves. 

Janine quietly walked into the room. “Egon? You ok? You look like you’re gonna be sick!” She ran over to him and sat down on the edge of his bed. “You feel like you’re burning up!”

“I’m ok. Just a bad dream.”

“Must’ve been a freakin’ nightmare!”

“I must agree it didn’t make much sense.”

“Do you feel like eating? Ray is getting ready to order pizza.”

“It’s time to eat?!” Egon looked at the clock on his bedside table. “I had no idea it had gotten so late!”

“It’s ok. I’ve been checking on you every thirty minutes. I figured that pain medication really knocked you out! But you must’ve needed the rest.”

“Perhaps that’s it; the pain medication may have caused me to have unusual dreams.”

“Maybe? I can’t take Benadryl - makes me sleepwalk.”

“Really?”

Janine frowned. “Yeah. I woke up in the hallway on the third floor of the building I live in. Kinda embarrassing. It took me a month to look the neighbors in the eye again.”

“Why? What happened?”

Janine blushed. “Well, Let’s just say that I now sleep in pajamas that aren’t as see through.”

Egon blushed. “I see.”

“Yeah, so did everybody else.”

“I believe I’ll have some pizza.” Egon wasn’t really that hungry, but he desperately wanted to change the subject. 

Janine helped him up and together they walked to the kitchen. Egon sat down while Janine got a soda for him out of the fridge. She gave it to him and turned to leave. 

“You’re not having pizza?” Ray asked. 

“Nah, I’m heading home. I’m really tired. You guys take care of Egon til I get back in the morning!”

“You bet!” Ray replied, giving a thumbs up.

Once Janine has left, Peter looked at Egon, very concerned. “Ok, she’s gone. What’s wrong with you?”

“What do you mean? I have a broken leg!”

“The look on your face when you got in here; you looked like you were freaked out or something? Did Janine try to play doctor?” He gave Egon a sly grin.

“No! It’s just … I didn’t realize I had slept so long. And the pain medication may have caused the strange dream I had.”

“Do tell!” Winston encouraged over his pizza. 

“I was back at the house that we went to earlier in the Bronx. Except it wasn’t old; it was new. Perhaps what it may have looked like years ago? It was furnished with expensive looking rugs and furniture. There was a chandelier in the foyer.”

“Yeah, I saw the remnants of the light fixture still hanging there!” Ray said. 

Egon continued. “I went upstairs to the same room I was in when the floor gave way. But it was neat, everything in order. I looked over the accounting books and was pleased to see the money in the bank had been properly tended to. But, apparently, I was not myself in this dream. A woman came in and had been shopping. I became very angry and accused her of cheating on me! The dream actually became a bit violent after that. I was thankful that I woke up soon after.”

“Why do you think you were someone else?” Peter asked. 

“The woman in the dream referred to me as Lou.”

“Hmmm, a past life experience intruding in your dreams?” Ray suggested. 

“Perhaps? Although I’m not sure I believe in that. It just bothers me that I became so violent. I hit the woman!”

“What else are you not saying?” Peter asked, his eyes searching Egon’s for a clue. 

“Why do you say that?” Egon asked nervously.

“Cause you were trying to keep as much distance as possible between you and Janine. I mean, I know she can be in your face so to speak, but you almost looked afraid?”

Egon sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to fool his best friend, who happened to be a very good psychologist. “There were a lot of similarities between Janine and the woman in the dream.”

“Like?”

“The red hair, the personality, and the accent.”

“Not to mention that Janine has had a thing for you since forever!” Winston added. 

“But she’d never cheat on you!” Ray said alarmed.

“And I would never hit her!” Egon spoke up quickly. 

“You damn right! She’d knock your lights out!” Winston laughed. 

“Seriously though,” Peter said. “That is a weird dream. Just take it easy for a while, ok?” 

“Agreed.” Egon nodded. 

They finished their dinner along with talk of other things more light hearted. Once done, Egon helped Winston clean up the kitchen before heading to bed. 

Peter grabbed Ray privately. “Can you do me a favor without letting Spengs in on it?”

“Sure! What?” Ray said. 

“Look up the previous owner of that house. We’ll need to go back and look for that ghost again anyway.”

“Sure but why not tell Egon?”

“”He’s got enough on his mind as it is. That dream touched a nerve, and I wanna know why.”

Ray agreed, promising to keep his research a secret. 

*****************************  
Peter, Ray and Winston used the next few days to return to the Bronx in hopes of finding the ghost. Egon was restricted to staying at the firehouse. Peter explained to the person who had called for their services that they were trying to capture the ghost. Their first attempt had ended abruptly after Egon was injured. 

They were on their way back to the firehouse when Peter asked Ray: “where are we on that research?”

“I did some digging over at City Hall. The original owner of the house was a real estate agent who had made some very wise investments over the years. But he was arrested years down the road for suspicion of embezzlement, fraud and involuntary manslaughter.”

“Whoa! What the hell happened?” Winston exclaimed.

“According to past newspaper articles, the guy had set up an offshore account. He had a lot of his money transferred to it, but the real estate firm he worked for thought he may have been stealing from them, too. They could never prove it, though.”

“What about this manslaughter charge?” Peter asked. 

“A woman was found dead in his home after he suspiciously disappeared. Turns out, she had fallen down a flight of stairs after she had an argument with this guy. That’s what the articles said the guy reported after they found him. He was trying to skip the country.”

“Let me guess - she was pushed down those stairs?” Peter asked.

“That’s what they tried to prove but didn’t have enough evidence. So they got him on the involuntary charge. It was argued in court that the bruises on her body were sustained in the fall.”

“Betcha that son of a bitch beat her!” Winston said, his tone dark.

“What was this guy’s name?” Peter asked.

“Louis Bernstein.”

“That matches what Egon told us about his dream!” Winston said.

“Where are you headed with this, Peter?” Ray asked. 

“Not sure ….. yet.”

As Ecto pulled back into the garage at the firehouse, the guys felt uneasy. 

“Oh boy,” Ray said. “Janine does not look happy.”

“Yeah, wonder what happened today?” Peter said.

“Why is it that the last couple of days, Janine has done nothing but complain about Egon’s antics while we’re out on calls? He seems fine when we’re there?” Winston asked. 

“Another reason I wanted Ray to do some digging,” Peter replied. 

They exited the vehicle and walked up to her desk. Peter walked up beside Janine’s desk, giving her a warm smile. 

“What’s up, my dear?”

She rolled her eyes. “Quit trying to schmoose me, Dr. V! I’m pissed and that’s NOT helping!”

“Ok, what’s the mad scientist done today?”

“I know you guys think I’m crazy cause he’s perfectly fine when you all are here. I don’t know what he’s got against me, but he’d best get over it!”

“Let me go talk to him,” Peter offered. “I’ll let you know.” He gave her shoulder a light squeeze then headed upstairs to the lab. 

Winston and Ray hung back and carried on small talk with Janine in hopes of calming her down. 

Peter entered the lab and closed the door behind him. Egon looked up from his notes, his brow furrowing when he noticed the closed door. 

“Spengs, what’s going on with you and Red?” His tone was a bit light hearted with a tinge of sarcasm. 

Egon sighed. “Peter, I promise you, I don’t know what she’s talking about. The last three days she has claimed that I have antagonized her when you, Ray and Winston have been out on calls. I honestly know of nothing that I’ve done that could possibly be misconstrued.”

“Well, I don’t have details about today yet, but yesterday you supposedly gave her the silent treatment after it took her too long to locate a case file. Her defense was the phone rang and she had to stop to answer it. The day before, she said you bit Slimer’s head off about getting slime on your desk. Then you bit hers off when she tried to settle you down. Now, I know Slimer tends to get on everybody’s nerves, but I was surprised to hear that you lost it.”

“Again, I swear I don’t remember that - any of it!” 

“Ok, maybe we need to let her address you about this stuff?”

“Please.”

Peter picked up the phone on the lab desk and buzzed Janine. He asked her to come up to the lab and to bring Ray and Winston. 

Within a few minutes, they all arrived and entered the lab. Janine stood across the room, unwilling to get any closer. Peter stood between her and Egon, acting as a moderator. Winston and Ray stood by the lab desk. 

“Ok, Janine. I talked to Spengs. He swears to me that he doesn’t remember anything. You two talk it out.”

Janine lit into Egon immediately. “What the hell do you mean that ‘you don’t remember anything’?!”

Egon stood but remained at his desk. “Janine, I promise to you that I don’t recall doing any of the things you’ve told the guys that I’ve done! I can’t explain it.”

“Ya know, I’d say you bumped your head harder than you thought but the doc said the CT scan was fine. So, I don’t know what to think. Maybe I should hide a camera somewhere and record you to prove I’m not making this shit up?!”

Suddenly, Egon stood straighter, his facial expression changing into one of extreme anger. “You know what? I’m sick and tired of all these allegations against me! If you’d do a better job working instead of trying to climb up my ass, these things wouldn’t happen!”

Everyone was totally shocked. Before the guys could move, Janine had stormed over in front of Egon and was tiptoeing to get closer to his face. 

“You SON OF A BITCH! How dare you say that!”

“Please! You’ve been trying to get my attention all week! Every time we’re here alone!”

“I tried to accommodate your request for the damn file! You were the one who wanted it!”

“Whoa now! Just calm down!” Winston said, moving to put some distance between the two. 

“You just want a chance to get to my wallet!” Egon yelled at Janine. “Get your grubby little hands on my family’s money! And the business! You get in good with me and you’ve got a great chance to take over the partnership!”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!” Janine screamed. 

“YOU’RE JUST A LOUSY TRAMP TRYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON EASY MONEY!” Egon yelled. 

Ray and Peter, who had been trying to hold Janine back from throwing a punch, weren’t able to hold her back anymore. 

But, instead of launching herself at Egon, she ran out of the lab, crying. 

Winston and Ray stood by dumbfounded. 

Peter walked up to Egon and slugged him hard with a right hook. Egon stumbled back against the lab desk, holding his jaw. 

“I think you need to consider what you just said to her! I’ve never seen you act or talk like that to anybody! But right now, I’m walking outta here before I do something else I’ll regret!” Peter said.


	3. Figuring It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Egon discuss theories on what’s happened and make a plan to stop it.

Winston and Ray stood staring blankly at Egon. He was rambling around his lab trying to find something to use for an ice pack. Finally, he gave up and stormed out of the lab heading to the kitchen. Ray gave Winston a questioning look, then they both followed Egon. By the time they got there, Egon had placed a pack of frozen peas up to his jaw.

“Winston? Ray? Why do I have pain in my jaw?” Egon asked, completely perplexed. 

Again, the two men traded looks.

“Are you kidding me?!” Winston asked, not believing what he was hearing. 

“You mean you don’t remember anything?!” Ray asked. 

“I believe I have made that fact apparent,” Egon replied annoyed.

“Well, if you don’t remember what Pete did, then I KNOW you don’t remember what you said to Janine!” Winston added.

“Where are they?” Egon asked, suddenly realizing they were missing. 

“I think Peter went to the bunk room and Janine went downstairs,” Ray said. “At least, that’s the directions I saw them go in.”

“Let me go make sure Pete’s ok,” Winston suggested.

“Then I’ll speak to Janine,” Egon replied. He made his way downstairs and found Janine sitting at her desk working. Or at least making it look like she was working. Egon could hear her stifling sobs.

She glanced up at him and her red, swollen eyes narrowed. “Whaddya YOU want?” she spat angrily. 

“I want to understand what is going on with me,” Egon said gently, his voice tinged with fear. “Something awful must have happened for my jaw to hurt the way it does. Not to mention the fact that apparently, both you and Peter are upset with me.”

“Damn right we’re upset! After what you said to me?! How could I NOT be?!”

“Tell me what happened,” Egon begged. “I truly do not remember!”

Janine studied his face, seeing the fear and apprehension in his eyes. Janine took a deep breath and released it, steadying herself. “You said all I was was a lousy tramp who’s trying to get in good with you so I can get to your family’s money and maybe even get a part of the business out of it. I have never felt so betrayed in my life! Maybe my friends were right? Maybe I just need to find somebody who’s on my level? I mean, I thought I’ve picked up subtle signals from you in the past, but maybe it was just what I wanted to see?” She sadly turned back to her computer.

Egon came around and sat on the corner of her desk, forcing Janine to look at him. “And exactly what level are you on?” He was curious but also hurt. 

“Someone more like me: no fancy degrees, not from a prominent family, someone who’s IQ is probably in the two digit area.”

Egon tentatively reached out and touched her hand, but Janine jerked away. 

“Go back to the lab Dr. Spengler. If you need some menial task done, call me. That’s what secretaries do.” With that, she got up and went to the basement to do her usual check on the containment unit.

Meanwhile, Winston found Peter in the bunk room. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, rubbing his hand that was swollen from striking Egon. 

“Did ya break it?” Winston asked.

“Nah, just sore. I can’t believe I did that!”

“I can’t believe Egon SAID that!”

“What the hell is wrong with him?”

“I think you have a theory on that.”

“Yeah, sort of. Just no reason why.”

“What do you think has happened?”

“I think Spengs might be possessed by the spirit from the Bronx house. And I think that spirit is the late Louis Bernstein! I know it sounds weird but it makes everything around here make sense.”

Winston chuckled. “Peter, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve never exactly worked with stuff that isn’t weird and makes sense. We bust ghosts. I’ve seen some freaky shit since I signed on with you guys. Your theory makes sense to me.”

Peter smiled. “Where’s he at? How is he?”

“He went to talk to Janine.”

Peter flinched. “Well, we haven’t heard her scream so it must be going ok?”

“I don’t know. He hurt her to the core this time.”

“Maybe I should talk to him? Tell him what I think has happened?”

“You’d better do it now. He snapped back to reality after you came up here. You need to talk to him when he’s thinking straight.”

Peter nodded and made his way downstairs. He saw Egon had returned to the lab so he knocked on the door that had been left halfway open. 

Egon looked up and motioned for Peter to enter. 

“Spengs, I’m really sorry about earlier. Things just got out of hand and I couldn’t handle hearing you say stuff like you said to Janine.”

“Yes, from what she told me happened, I deserved it.”

Peter approached the desk where Egon was sitting. He sat down on a stool beside him. “I’ve got a theory of what’s going on, and I wanted to tell you before you space out again.”

“Yes, I’ve started a list of things that have made me wonder if something happened on that call to the house in the Bronx?”

“Can I see it?” 

Egon handed the list to Peter, then he noticed Peter’s hand. “Did you HIT ME?!”

Peter chuckled nervously. “Uh, yeahhhh. Sorry about that Big Guy.”

“That explains the pain in my jaw.”

“Sorry. But after the load of crap you said about Janine …. well, I lost it. She’s like my kid sister; guess I get a little overprotective sometimes.”

“I understand. And like I said, I deserved it. No hard feelings. But where did that come from? I certainly don’t think of Janine that way!”

“You’ve written down the strange dreams, the spacing out and not remembering what happened. But it started after the accident.”

“That’s all I’ve come up with so far,” Egon said, sitting back in his chair, clearly frustrated. 

“Well, I got suspicious so I got Ray to look up some stuff about the house,” Peter admitted. “The owner of the home was Louis Bernstein.”

“The woman in the dream referred to me as Lou!”

“Exactly. And he wasn’t a nice guy. He had made some good investments while selling homes. But he got himself into a bit of trouble. He was putting money in an offshore account. Eventually, the real estate office he worked for accused him of embezzlement and fraud. He got caught trying to skip the country.”

“Hmmm, that would explain the anger you all have said I have displayed.”

“Yeah, and that last little rant had you saying stuff about how tired you are of the allegations. Maybe if ole’ Lou is in there, he’s still pissed about it?”

“But what does that have to do about Janine?”

“Remember what you said about the redhead in your dream? You smacked her around for cheating on you?”

“Yes.” Egon shivered from the memory.

“Well, Lou was also brought up on charges of involuntary manslaughter. His red headed girlfriend was found dead in his house! He said she fell down the stairs after an argument. I think the court thought otherwise, but they didn’t have enough evidence to convict for murder. But she had bruises on her body.”

Egon’s lips tightened in a thin line. “Maybe you and the others should keep me locked in here, away from Janine. I don’t want to hurt her if I should ‘space out’ again.”

“Are you serious?”

“Very.”

“What do we do about the spirit we think you might be possessed with?”

“I’ll research what way is best to extricate it. Have Ray do the same thing - have him research exorcism.”

“He’ll love that! You know his fondness for that stuff!”

“Will you tell Janine about this? So she knows that I truly didn’t mean it? And to stay out of the lab and away from me? Just until we figure this out and resolve it.”

“Of course!”

“She feels that I’ve betrayed her. I’m afraid she feels very ….. well, beneath me right now. Like she doesn’t deserve to be respected.”

Peter laid a comforting hand on Egon’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to her. Pretty soon she’ll be back to flirting with you. Cause we all know that she’d LOVE to be beneath you anytime!” He gave a playful wink.

Egon blushed but smiled.


	4. Let’s Get a Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon and Ray figure out what to do about the possession with Lou’s spirit.

Peter ran into Ray as he left the lab. “Hey Tex! Egon’s got a request!” Peter closed the lab door behind him. He heard Egon lock it from the inside. 

“Did Iggy just lock himself in the lab?” Ray asked. 

“Yeah. He’s gonna look up info on how to get Lou’s spirit out of him. He wants you to look up how to exorcise him, in case his method don’t work I guess.”

“Cool! I’ll head over to the bookstore now! So you think that’s what happened too?”

“Yeah. It makes sense. I’m gonna go explain it to Janine.”

Ray ran out to catch a cab while Peter approached Janine. 

“Where’s the fire?” she asked Peter, amused at Ray’s enthusiasm. 

“He’s gonna find a book on exorcism,” Peter replied flatly. 

He had Janine’s complete undivided attention. “What’s going on?”

“Janine, we think Egon is possessed with the spirit of Louis Bernstein. He was the owner of that house we checked out in the Bronx. After Egon’s accident, we put it all on hold. We couldn’t pick up any readings later when we went back to look for the ghost.”

“Because the ghost was inside Egon?” Janine asked, her voice laced with anxiety.

“Yep. He’s locked himself in the lab. He’s afraid he might hurt you otherwise. So don’t go in there. At least not until we get this figured out.”

“Why would he hurt me? I mean, yeah, what he said earlier hit me hard. I’ll admit I’ve been pissed ever since. But ….”

Peter explained. “This Lou Bernstein wasn’t a nice guy. He worked at a real estate agency. He had made some good investments over the years and put the money in an offshore account. His bosses thought he was stealing from them. He was arrested trying to leave the country. He also had a dead red headed girlfriend at his house. So he was convicted of embezzlement, fraud and involuntary manslaughter.”

“Involuntary?”

“He told the cops she fell down the stairs after an argument, but she had bruises on her body. There wasn’t enough evidence to get him for murder. But Egon told us about a dream he had. A redhead came in calling him Lou. He accused her of cheating on him, then he started smacking her around.”

Janine covered her mouth with her hand gasping, her eyes tearing up.

“That’s why he wants to stay away from you for now; to protect you. But we’re gonna fix this, I promise.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “But you’re gonna have to trust us and do whatever we say, ok?”

She nodded, biting her lower lip. “What do we do?”

“Ray’s gonna find a book while Spengs looks into seeing if there’s another way to get the spirit out.”

“What about you, me and Winston?”

“Wait and see what those two come up with.” He went back upstairs to chat with Winston. 

Janine thought for a second then picked up the phone. The phone in the lab rang. 

“Yes?” Egon answered.

“Egon,” she whispered, her voice cracking at hearing his voice. 

“Janine!”

“I’m ….. I’m sorry. Peter told me what’s going on, about Lou Bernstein and the girlfriend. He told me why you’re locked in the lab. I just wanted to apologize for what I said. And that I understand why you said what you said.”

“I appreciate you saying that. And I need to let you know something. You don’t need to find someone on your level, like you said. There’s nothing wrong with your IQ or your education level or what family you’re from. You were raised well by two loving parents.”

“What are you saying Egon? You’re sounding like you’re giving up?!”

“No, I just want to clear things up between us.”

“Us?”

“You were right; I have been sending out signals to you. I was too afraid to follow through with it.”

“Why?”

“Afraid I’m not good enough for you.”

“That’s ridiculous! I’m the one who should be feeling inadequate!”

“Janine, you’re so wonderful, beautiful and full of life. I don’t want to do anything that would change that.”

“Why would I change?”

“To feel adequate with me.”

“I tell ya what? When this is over, you take me out to dinner. Nothing fancy. We’ll discuss all of this then. How’s that sound?”

Egon smiled. “That sounds very nice.”

“I’ll let you get back to work.” She hung up the phone, feeling very excited about her future with Egon. 

*********************  
Ray returned to the firehouse within the hour with a book. He ran upstairs to the kitchen where Janine, Peter and Winston were sitting at the table. 

“Ok, I’ve got it!” Ray exclaimed as he struggled to catch his breath. “If Egon hasn’t come up with a way to extract this ghost, I’ve got the exorcism spell!”

“We don’t have to make him eat a live chicken, do we?” Peter asked. 

“No, nothing like that. But it’s gonna be tricky,” Ray warned. 

“What’s involved?” Janine asked.

“Well, there are all types of different ghosts that possess people, and they all have their own reasons. The one that I’m afraid has Egon is very selfish and basically a big bully,” Ray explained. 

“Why can’t we just force it out of him with a ghost trap?” Winston asked.

“Because this ghost has attached itself to Egon’s soul, not just his body. If we use a trap, it could kill him.”

Janine gasped. “Then what do we do?!”

“According to this book, we’re gonna have to force Egon to flip the switch again - you know, let the ghost take over. Once Lou shows up, there’s a spell in here that I can use to force him to detach himself from Egon’s soul. Then we can trap it.”

“The tricky part is forcing Lou to show up?” Peter asked. 

“Yeah. And I’m afraid Janine is the one who has to do it,” Ray said, his expression somewhat apprehensive. 

“That’s why he’s been flipping out on me when you guys were out?” she realized. 

“Yeah, you bear a close resemblance to Lou’s girlfriend, according to Egon’s description,” Winston said. “Something about that woman brought out the worst in that guy.”

“Egon had said that Lou accused her of blowing his money and cheating on him,” Peter recalled. “Instead of dumping her, he beat her and killed her.”

“For what reason?!” Janine asked. “It would’ve been easier to get another girl!”

“Control,” Peter answered. “He was a narcissist. He got some sick pleasure out of bullying others and making them feel like nobodies.”

“So I’m gonna have to flip this switch, huh?” Janine asked, a wicked grin spreading across her lips.

Peter smiled, leaning towards her. “You’ve already got a plan, don’tcha?”

“Well, based off of what he said to me earlier, Hell yeah, I do!”

“Alright then, let’s update the man and get this show on the road!” Winston said. 

Peter went down to the lab and knocked on the door. “Hey Spengs? Are you doing ok? Or have you flipped out again?”

Footsteps could be heard approaching the door, the sound of the lock undone. The door opened slowly. The expression on the physicist’s face was relaxed. “I’m fine, Peter. What’s going on?”

“Ray has found what he needs if you haven’t. We’re ready but it ain’t gonna be pretty.”

“I suppose you know by now that the ghost trap can’t be used until the spirit has released my soul?”

“Yeah. We’re gonna have to force the spirit to show up and Ray will read the spell to unbind it.”

“It will be difficult.”

“Yeah, and Red’s gonna have to do it. It seems that’s why Lou keeps showing up when we’re out. Guess his girlfriend had a bad hold on him?”

“Don’t let me hurt her,” Egon pleaded.

“We won’t. I think we’re gonna have to keep her from hurting you - or Lou rather!” Peter chuckled lightly. “I think I know what she has in mind and like I said: it ain’t gonna be pretty.”

Egon smiled. “Let’s do it.”


	5. The Exorcism of Dr. Egon Spengler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is in motion to save Egon.

Peter ran back to the kitchen. “Ok kids! Egon’s ready to get this started! Ray, Whaddya need?”

“As long as we’ve got Egon on our side, he can help us with the pentagram. We need to move the furniture out of the rec room; that’s the best space we’ve got for this. The lab would take too long. After that, Janine will force Lou to show up, and I’ll unbind him from Egon. Then Pete: you and Winston can trap it.”

Egon joined them in the rec room after they had moved the furniture. Janine went upstairs to the bunk room so as to not force Lou to show up too soon. He and Ray drew the chalk pentagram and Egon stepped inside of it. Ray got out the holy water and dashed some on Egon. 

“Ok, let’s get Janine in here,” Ray said. 

Winston went upstairs and in a few minutes, both he and Janine returned. 

“Stay outside the chalk,” Ray whispered to her. 

Janine nodded then stood right outside the lines. She steeled herself and looked Egon directly in the eyes. “Hello, honey! I’m back! Come on and let’s talk!” 

Egon closed his eyes tightly and held his hands up to his head as if in extreme pain. Then he released his head and opened his eyes. The look in them was extremely cold. “How much did you spend THIS time?!” 

Janine narrowed her eyes. “Just enough for me to get what I needed! Don’t worry about it!”

“I swear, if I find out that you’re spending MY money so you can screw around, I’ll teach you a REAL lesson!”

“Oh yeah, Lou?! And you’re man enough?!”

“Of course I am! And you’re nothing but a two bit tramp!”

“Then why do you put up with me? Not man enough to admit you can’t control me?! Wanna keep me around to hit on?!”

“Why you little BITCH!” Lou lunged for Janine. He tried to step past the line but suddenly stopped. 

Janine instinctively stepped back. 

Ray began the spell: “Heed my voice Louis Bernstein! By the power of heaven and hell, I compel you to release this soul!”

Egon’s body dropped down to his knees, screaming in agony. 

Peter and Winston powered up and readied the ghost trap. 

Janine stepped further back out of the line of fire. 

Suddenly, the ghost of Lou Bernstein appeared, pulling loose from Egon’s now unconscious body. Before they knew it, the ghost lunged over the chalked pentagram and grabbed Janine around the throat, squeezing off her air supply while lifting her off the floor. 

“HIT IT!” Peter ordered. 

Winston and Peter fired their throwers at the ghost, instantly catching him in the streams. Janine collapsed to the floor, struggling for air. The men struggled as the ghost tried to pull free. 

“Increase the power!” Winston yelled. 

That did it. Lou’s spirit couldn’t handle the streams at full power. “I just wanted one last chance!” He screamed. 

“You’re no longer gonna be able to smack women around, you coward!” Winston yelled as he lowered the ghost into the trap Peter had thrown out. 

“Yeah! Our containment unit will be your private Hell!” Peter added as the trap closed.

Egon regained consciousness and rushed over to Janine. Ray was already by her side. Peter and Winston joined them. 

“I’m ok, just … catching …. my breath,” Janine insisted. 

“We got him!” Peter yelled in triumph. 

“I didn’t think the ghost would be able to cross the chalk?” Winston asked. 

“Only until it released Egon. Then it was free,” Ray explained. 

Egon helped Janine stand, holding her close. 

She smiled up at him. “Thanks,” she said, her voice a bit hoarse. 

“Any time,” Egon replied, returning the smile. 

Peter took the ghost down to release into the containment unit. Winston offered to call the person who had contacted them about the Bronx house. He was going to assure them the ghost was captured so they could get paid. 

Ray started to clean up the chalk while Egon escorted Janine to the kitchen for a glass of water. She gave him a sly grin as she took the glass from his hand. 

“So, about this dinner?” Egon asked, raising one eyebrow. 

“Yeah? I’m free this weekend,” Janine replied.

“You said nothing fancy?”

“Yeah. Whatever you want is fine; coffee, burger place, whatever.”

“I had something a little more quaint in mind,” Egon said somewhat seductively. 

“Ooh! Like what?” Janine asked. 

He took her hand in both of his, rubbing his thumb slowly up and down her hand. He looked at her over the top of his glasses. “Perhaps …. take out at … your place?”

Janine’s smile put the brightest fireworks to shame. “Wow! That’s a big move fast, Dr. Spengler! Are ya sure?”

“Very. These last few days have shown me that I can’t keep dragging my feet. You’re much too good of a woman for me to wait. I’m supposed to be a genius, but I’ve almost let you get away from me. And that would be the dumbest thing I could ever do.”

She tiptoed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Well then, let’s get outta here.” She pulled him along as they rushed downstairs. 

They passed by Peter who was returning from the basement. 

“Mr. Lou is now properly incarcerated again. Where are you two headed?” Peter asked, his classic grin appearing. 

“I’m taking Janine out. She deserves it,” Egon said flatly, but Peter saw the subtle grin.

“I see. Well, you two play nice. We won’t wait up.”

Janine giggled as she and Egon left, holding hands.


	6. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon and Janine finally have a moment alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand, the “next” chapter.

Janine unlocked her apartment door as Egon came in behind her with their Chinese takeout in his hands. She closed the door and headed into the kitchen to set out their plates and drinks. She thought it was funny that she seemed to be the one who was nervous instead of Egon. Janine didn’t want to assume what Egon’s intentions were, but at the same time, she didn’t want to say anything that would scare him off. 

Luckily, he broke the ice for her. “Janine, you’ve been very quiet the last few minutes. Is everything ok? We could’ve brought Thai food instead.”

“Oh, no! This is fine! I … ummm …,” she replied nervously. She swallowed hard and just said it. “Are you planning on just dinner or staying the night?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer. 

He simply smiled, walking over to her. He took one of her hands in both of his. “I honestly had not planned beyond dinner. I thought maybe we could … what does Peter say? Take it one step at a time and see what develops?”

Janine smiled, releasing the breath she was holding. 

Egon continued. “I don’t want to appear too bold, but also, I don’t want to waste any more time. I feel like so much time has passed already.”

Janine looked worried. “This experience has really gotten to you, hasn’t it?”

“It did. The dreams I had I’m assuming were memories of the things that Lou did. He was a vile man with absolutely no respect for women. And the thoughts that I could have hurt you …. or worse. It’s just more than I could bear.” Egon’s voice had gotten lower, his expression sad as he looked down at Janine’s hand that he was still holding. 

She reached her free hand out and lightly caressed the side of his face. “Hey,” she whispered. “Everything is ok now. Lou is in the containment unit, I’m safe, you’re free of his spirit. He was a vicious person who got what he deserved.” She urged him to look at her. “Come on. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

They sat down at the kitchen table and ate their dinner, enjoying fun conversation about everything else except work. Afterwards, Egon helped Janine put away the leftovers and washed the dishes. They settled down on the couch and checked to see what was on tv. 

Janine was cuddled up against Egon’s side as he slowly flipped channels with the remote. He noticed soon after that Janine had gotten very still. He looked down to see that she had drifted off to sleep. He smiled; not wanting to disturb her, he turned down the volume on the tv and found a science documentary on public television to watch. 

She wasn’t asleep for long. Janine opened her eyes, feeling Egon’s arm around her. She looked up at him. “Sorry, I must’ve dozed off.”

He smiled. “That’s fine. I’ve kept myself entertained while you rested.”

Janine slowly sat up, a seductive smile gracing her features. “What other kinds of entertainment do you like?”

Now it was Egon’s turn to feel nervous. He had secretly fantasized for a while about the day that he and Janine would become intimate. But now that the day was here, he didn’t know where to start. 

“I … well …. there’s a few things I can think of….,” he started. 

Janine’s fingertip glided lightly across his forearm, goosebumps rising in the wake. “Like what, for instance?”

Egon swallowed hard. “Well, ahhh …. ummm …,”

Janine sat up, grinning. “I’m not gonna jump you …. unless you want me to?”

Just then, Egon’s expression changed to somewhat predatory, one eyebrow arching. “Or perhaps I prefer to lead the hunt?” 

Janine’s breath hitched at the sudden lust in Egon’s voice, her heart fluttered. She could feel her face instantly heating up, as well as other areas of her body. 

Egon leaned in and kissed her on the lips. The kiss was tentative at first, but quickly became more intense. He placed his arms around her, pulling her up against him. 

Janine moaned in delight as she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss with enthusiasm. 

His lips began to move from her lips to her neck. Janine tossed her head back gently, closing her eyes. “Oh, Egon!” she breathed heavily. 

“I was terribly frightened seeing that ghost as he choked you,” he whispered in her ear. “I will never hurt you.” He trailed kisses down her neck, then pulled back to look in her eyes. “I love you, Janine.”

She opened her eyes. “And I love you, Egon. I trust you … with my life.”

“I must admit that I don’t usually move this fast, but after all that’s happened, I’m quite …. anxious,” he admitted. 

Janine smiled. “It’s ok. I’ve been ready for this moment since I met you.” She kissed his lips, then moved down his neck, tenderly kissing over his Adam’s Apple. 

His breath hitched, his hands moving from her shoulders down to her sides, eventually resting just underneath her breasts. 

“Please, Egon. Don’t think; just do it,” Janine pleaded. “I’ve wanted you for so long, and I hope you want me?”

“Oh Janine, you have no idea,” he said huskily as he leaned in, kissing her deeply on the lips as his hands slid underneath her blouse. 

She moaned as the kiss deepened, feeling his hands traveling up to her bra. She then felt his hands reaching to her back and unhooking the bra. He then reached back to the front, gently pushing the cups up over her breasts. 

He pulled back, raising up her blouse and getting a good look at her naked breasts. 

Janine smiled. “Let me make this easier.” She removed her blouse and bra, dropping them onto the floor. She started to remove her skirt, but Egon stopped her. 

“I think I can manage,” he smiled, raising an eyebrow. He gently reached under the skirt and started to pull her panties down. He removed them, dropping them onto the floor to join the rest of the clothing. He then pushed her skirt up to her hips while kneeling down in front of the couch. He spread her legs and smiled as he looked at her. She was more appealing than he had ever imagined. 

Janine watched him until his mouth touched her most sensitive area. She threw her head back, closing her eyes as she allowed herself to float away on the ecstasy that Egon’s tongue was creating. She could hear an occasional moan of approval from him as he edged her closer to her orgasm. He truly seemed to enjoy orally pleasuring her.

And he was. Her scent, the taste of her was overwhelming his senses, driving him to go faster. He increased the speed and pressure as his hands gently squeezed her thighs. He could hear Janine’s breath hitching as her hips started thrusting. Her moans and cries were driving him mad with desire. Egon wanted to push her over the edge. He wanted to taste her fully as she climaxed. He didn’t have to wait long. Within a few more seconds, he felt Janine’s muscles clamp down, her legs shaking. 

“Oh, oh, oh, OH! E-E-GGOONNNN!”

He sucked and lapped at her, reveling in this moment. He rubbed his hands on her thighs, coaxing her to calm down. He stood and held out his hand to pull her up, seeing that she was too weak to stand fully on her own. 

Janine smiled as she allowed Egon to pull her up. “My god, you’re …. you’re …. that was ….,” she couldn’t yet form full sentences. 

“Thank you, and so are you,” he said as he led her to the bedroom. “But I’d like to finish in here.” He guided her to the bed and unhooked her skirt, sliding it down to the floor. He helped her lie down on the bed, and began to strip his clothes off quickly. 

Janine laid on the bed, watching Egon remove his clothes. Her eyes widened as she saw his eight inch erection. She could feel her vaginal muscles twitch as she anticipated becoming one with him. 

Egon slowly crawled onto the bed, smiling at Janine. His eyes were dark with desire. She opened her arms beckoning him to her. He hovered above her, settling himself between her legs. He reached down with one hand to guide his erection into her. He then returned his hand to rest beside her.

Janine grasped his forearms as his cock eased into her. It felt heavenly. She raised her hips to meet his, matching his rhythm. Her eyes closed as she allowed herself to be taken. Egon fit her like a glove, his length filling places she didn’t know were there. 

Egon closed his eyes as well. Her muscles flexed around his cock, deliciously squeezing and releasing him as his own orgasm built. “Oh Janine!” he gasped as his thrusts became faster and harder. 

“Oh Egon! Oh yes!”

“You feel so …. oh Janine! You feel so … wonderful!” Egon gasped in between thrusts. “I’m afraid … I can’t wait … much longer.”

“Don’t wait, just … let it go! Please!” Janine begged as her own thrusts got harder. 

Within moments, they came together. Egon carefully pulled out then laid down beside Janine, pulling her against his chest. They lay together as their breathing slowed. 

“I have one regret,” Egon confessed.

Janine looked up, a little worried. 

Egon smiled. “I only wish I had done this earlier.” He kissed her forehead. 

She relaxed, smiling. “Well, we can make up for lost time.” She said seductively, pulling him over to her as she laid back down.


End file.
